


Tintin and the Beloved Captain

by atlas_white



Category: Tintin (Comics), Tintin - All Media Types
Genre: Ficlets, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-09
Updated: 2014-06-29
Packaged: 2018-01-18 19:55:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1440826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/atlas_white/pseuds/atlas_white
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of vignettes surrounding the incredible relationship between Tintin and Captain Haddock and their lives together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Lengths He'll Go to

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter 1: During the events of _Prisoners of the Sun/Le Temple du Soleil_ , the Captain finds himself feeling stressed.

_Captain Haddock & Tintin - The Lengths He'll Go to_

 

Captain Haddock was having a stressful night. The really bad thing about it was that this was only the latest in a string of increasingly stressful nights and days. At least he and Tintin hadn't had to do anything especially dangerous until now.

But he supposed that couldn't have lasted for long. Now, he was rowing out into shark-infested seas at an ungodly hour so that Tintin could climb aboard a dangerous ship carrying their kidnapped friend Professor Calculus-- and possibly two cases of yellow fever. And even though Tintin had assured him the sickness was a fake, and even though the Captain trusted him completely, and knew his judgement was sound, he couldn't help this nagging worry in the back of his mind that this might be the one time the reporter was wrong about something.

His stress was doubled, though, when Tintin had him stop rowing nearly a kilometer away from the ship, intending to swim the rest of the way. Since he couldn't convince him not to go ahead with this latest bull-headed plan, Captain Haddock figured he might as well try to remind him about the more immediate danger.

"You're sure about this? I told you, there are sharks around here."

Tintin stood up carefully in their dinghy, ignoring the Captain's warnings about sharks, and shrugged out of his jacket.

"Nuts to the sharks," Tintin huffed. "Anyway, they should be fast asleep at this hour, like everyone else."  
 _  
Like you and I should be,_ Haddock thought bitterly, but it was too late for that. Now he could only concede, and watch as Tintin climbed fully-clothed into the water, leaving him with only Snowy, his jacket, and instructions on what to do should the youth fail to return.

A few moments later, and Haddock was watching his companion vanish into the darkness, blending in with the black sea and the inky blue sky and the looming shadow of a dangerous ship on the horizon.

A sea-farer all his life, the Captain had never felt sick or uneasy on the water. But somehow, he wasn't entirely surprised when he started to feel queasy moments later. That lad was going to be the death of him, one of these days--but it wasn't as though he could ever deny him.

Even now, he had only come out because he wasn't going to let Tintin set off on this foolish quest alone. Someone had to be there for him, to watch his back, even if he wouldn't let the Captain accompany him onto the ship. The youth might know very well what he was doing, but that didn't mean Haddock wasn't going to be there to catch him if something went wrong. Otherwise, not even _Tintin_ would see to Tintin's safety.

He might not be the best man for the job, but however it had happened, it had fallen to him. Once, Tintin had looked at the drunken old captain and seen something worth saving, for whatever reason. It wasn't mere gratitude that kept him tied to the youth, but that was where it started, and from that day, he'd had his task. He'd protect the bloody little hero from gunshots and submarines and shooting stars and bumbling policemen and whatever else he planned on getting involved with.

Haddock had no idea how long he and Snowy had been floating there when the silence was suddenly broken by gunshots. He felt his heart skip a beat, and suddenly his blood ran cold.

_Tintin! They've got Tintin!_

Shouting swears, he grabbed the oars and started toward the ship with all the force he could muster. He felt a sudden rush of anger and adrenaline.

And then he saw him-- Tintin, his head barely above the water, his flattened red hair just visible in the darkness as he swam toward the dinghy. Haddock pushed toward him, and wasted no time in grabbing the youth as soon as he was close enough, pulling him on board. He could still feel his heart pounding in his chest.

Once he had Tintin safely on board, the Captain hesitated, just for a moment, holding the sopping wet form against himself with his arms cradling the youth's upper body. Just long enough to be satisfied that he was here, safe, and alive.

After this brief contact, Tintin climbed back onto his seat, pulled his jacket on over his soaked sweater, and told Haddock about Calculus and his kidnappers and how he was going to be sacrificed because of some blasted Inca bracelet. As soon as they got back to shore, it would be more adventure, more rescuing, more stress, and no sleep at all.

One of these days, that lad was going to be the death of him.


	2. Like Nothing Else

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A moment's contemplation.

_Tintin & Captain Haddock -Like Nothing Else_

Tintin opens his eyes slowly, blinks and looks blearily up at the ceiling. Beside him, he can feel a form, warm and protective, pressed to his side, a strong arm draped across Tintin' s chest. This, the young reporter thinks, is what it feels like to feel truly safe, truly at ease--something he never knew when he travelled alone. He turns over into his side, looking at the sleeping face of the Captain, and smiles. Yes, this is what it feels like. Like nothing else in the world.


	3. A Promise Kept

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for a music drabble meme on Tumblr.

Captain Haddock had never said it, at least not out loud, but it had been a promise, and he had done well keeping it. He had been half-drunk when he'd made it, following that pipsqueak tuft of ginger off of the _Karaboudjan_ and into a new life, but he had remembered it later on. It was the most important promise he'd ever made, and even when he slipped up here and there, he would never break it.

He was tempted to, on more than one occasion. But he'd kept it, even when that had meant going to the Moon-- and would later mean going into a mountain range that he would be sure was the first circle of Frigido, the ice hell. So of course he was going to be keeping it now.

No, he didn't want another adventure. But Tintin would always be a hero at heart, and people were missing from this tropical town they were visiting-- they had to go out and rescue them, couldn't just leave them. But why, oh why couldn't they have visited someplace peaceful where there _weren't_ people missing?

That was bad enough. Then Tintin went missing, too, and now Captain Haddock was left with only Snowy, a few basic supplies, and a hunch as to where the youth had gotten off to.

Still, the Captain never faltered. He searched for the lad, cut and cursed through the lush rainforest. He found the villains' makeshift base of operations-- formerly a bunker during the Great War, now half-reclaimed by nature-- and heard the voices he knew where theirs. He scouted the area like Tintin would have done and he kept Snowy quiet, even as he made his move on the old building. Drug or arms smugglers, maybe. Or more slave-traders. It didn't matter what they were doing, it was illegal and immoral, he knew.

He got inside, he knocked out the two burly men standing guard over their prisoners. He rushed through, looking for Tintin, just barely pausing to let people out as he went down the hall of makeshift cells. The missing townsfolk remained in that hall, conferring in whispers, ready to overtake their kidnappers _en masse_.

He found the lad at the end of the block, sitting on the floor looking at the wall. He had been roughed up, and the sight of him when he peeked through a slat in the door made Haddock's blood boil. He unlocked the door and rushed inside, taking him into his arms before Tintin knew what was happening.

The youth was startled and tried to push him off, but Haddock held him firmly against himself, hushing him tenderly, Snowy doing his best to help by whining softly and licking at Tintin's hand.

"There, there, lad, it's over," Haddock said. "I'm here. We're going to get you out now."

"H-how.... how did you find me?" Tintin asked, his voice small and quiet.

"Oh, Tintin, I'll always find you," Haddock said, stroking the ginger hair with his great, broad hand.

Tintin slid his arms around the larger man and allowed himself to be held and rocked lightly, enveloped in the warmth and strength of the larger man. He rested his head against the broad chest.

"Ah, of course." Tintin said softly, perking up. "You always do."

Yes, Captain Haddock's promise continued to be kept. It always would. ☆


	4. Beautiful, But So Much More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During the events of _The Shooting Star_. Haddock speaks to Chester about Tintin, that incredible youth.

_Captain Haddock & Tintin + Chester - Beautiful, But So Much More Than That _

He was beautiful, and that was actually pretty hard to take. The way he looked standing by the rail, his eyes a perfect mirror of the stormy ocean sky beyond his stunning face; his ginger hair and the fibres of his thick, fuzzy coat fluttering in the breeze.... the Captain didn't have the words to describe it.

Tintin's freckled cheeks and nose were rosy from the cold, or more so than usual, anyway. His breath could be seen in thin white puffs in the air. Excitement emanated from him in waves. They were on an adventure, and already the Captain knew that was where he thrived. He was something wild and free, like a spirit of nature more than a boy, energy that never ran short, beauty that could bring a man to his knees.

"How long until we arrive in Akureryi, Captain?" He asked. 

"Oh, not long now," Captain Haddock replied, smiling at the youth. "An hour at the outside."

"Wonderful," Tintin said brightly. "I'm looking forward to it."

Haddock laughed, charmed by the youth's ways, his enthusiasm. The Captain was still at the helm, guiding the _Aurora_ along. It was the first time he'd felt like a true captain in a long time, and he'd taken back to it as the most natural thing in the world. It was all thanks to this incredible young man standing near him. Not only had he rescued him from his miserable, drunken life, he'd recommended him for the command of this expedition. All of Belgium, and indeed, much of Europe, was looking at Haddock now. Captain Archibald Haddock, the proud sailor. The president of the Sober Sailors Society.

And, he thought with a sting, the man who had fallen head over heels for a youth who was entirely too good for him, besides being too young and too innocent, world traveller or not. 

It was enough for him that he could be so close to Tintin, to stand with him as he was now. He liked being in his company, as if he could just bask in that radiance and not need anything else. He just wondered how long he could carry on that way. 

He pushed the thoughts from his head. No, he couldn't go on thinking like that or else he would end up tormenting himself when he should be nothing but happy now. He was behind the helm of a beautiful ship, in the company of the most incredible person he had ever met. He had more now than he'd thought possible in a very long time. And he ought to be more than satisfied with that.

\-- 

Captain Haddock's mood picked back up considerably over the rest of the hour, and when he was reunited with his dear old shipmate Chester, he felt like the day was well and truly complete-- despite the outrageous deception Golden Oil tried to pull on them. 

The bar they went to was cozy and warm, a real relief after being out in the cold for so long. Tintin told the two sailors his ingenius plan for fueling the _Aurora_ along with the _Sirius_ , and then the three chatted for a little while, and eventually Tintin excused himself to go and listen to the piano being played on the other side of the bar so that Captain Haddock could catch up with his old friend without him seeming like a third wheel, not able to share all their old memories. 

It wasn't long after Tintin walked away that he became the topic of their conversation. 

"I say, he's a lovely fellow, that Tintin, isn't he?" Chester asked, smiling coyly. 

Haddock coughed in surprise. "I, I don't know what you're talking about." 

"Oh no?" Chester leaned closer conspiratorially. "I can read you like a book, Archibald-- you've got your eye on that lad, haven't you?" 

Haddock huffed. "Not in the slightest." 

Chester tilted his head back a bit to look at Tintin where he stood on the other side of the room. Still so stunning, even in a dim old sailors' bar. He seemed to be enjoying the music, the ambiance, despite how plain it all was. Or maybe it wasn't all that plain, to him. How much time could he honestly spend in bars? This was probably another new experience for him. 

"So if I decided to maybe.... see about inviting him to spend the night in my cabin, you wouldn't object?" Chester asked with a lewd grin. 

Haddock stiffened, his chest puffed up, and he frowned severely. "Of course I'd object, you dirty, addle-brained old pirate! Tintin's not somebody you could just, just-- _use_ like that! I'll not have you talking about him that way, not now or ever, d'you hear me? It's only because we're such good friends I don't take you outside and throw you overboard right now!" 

Chester started to laugh good-naturedly, clapping his hands. "Look at that! You're defending his honor." He declared, and winked. "You can't fool me, Archibald. You've got it bad for him." 

Haddock deflated with another huff. Good people never talked about such things, but it was different with a fellow like Chester. He was boistrous to begin with, and then they were shipmates for twenty years, so the lines of decency were far behind them. It was well known that sailors indulged those kinds of proclivities while on the sea, but for Captain Haddock it was really more.... 

Well, that was the way he was. He didn't go wherever the wind blew and he didn't even care to have sex all that often. In that regard, he had no business with women whatsoever. And he never would need to, especially when men like Tintin existed. 

Rather, especially when _Tintin_ existed. 

Finally, Haddock sighed, defeated. "Aye, that I do." 

Chester patted his back. "There, there, now. It ain't like you don't have a chance with him, now, is it?" 

Another ragged sigh, and Haddock up and took the whiskey bottle, pouring a little more into his glass, ignoring the pretense of not drinking. "Aye, it is. Tintin's too perfect, Chester. He's not someone you can just tie down. He's free as all creation. And he's too young for me, and too good for me!" 

Chester's grin faded away. "So it's like that, is it?" 

"Hmm." Haddock took a deep sip from his whiskey. 

Chester looked over at Tintin again, and thought of the thing to say next. "You talk about him as if he were a selkie, Archibald. But it's not like you could never have him. Haven't you ever thought that he might say yes if you asked?" 

"I don't know," Haddock said. "I don't know how to even explain it to you. He found me in the darkest place I've ever been and took me on this wild adventure across the Sahara and stopped a drug ring and exposed all sorts of treachery, all at once. He's not just beautiful, he's incredible. He's out here on this expedition right now to try and find a _shooting star_. Maybe he is a selkie. Sometimes I think he couldn't just be human." 

Chester patted his back again, more gently this time, reassuring his friend. "Of course he's human, Haddock. We're all human. Tintin's not too good for you-- nobody is! In all the time I've known you, I've never seen you like this." 

Haddock felt a sinking in his gut as he downed the rest of his whiskey in one go. "That's because I've never been like this before." 

Tintin looked over at them, and tilted his head to one side. He must've seen that Haddock wasn't feeling well, because he came right back over to them and placed his hand on the Captain's back near Chester's. The touch was so different from that of the other sailor, feather-light, yet burning through his thick wool coat like fire. 

"Are you alright, Captain?" Tintin asked. "Would you like me to take you back to the _Aurora_?" 

"I'm just fine, lad, thanks." Haddock said, smiling his most genuine smile up at the youth. "You enjoy yourself. We'll head out in a few minutes." 

"If you're....quite certain, Captain." Tintin said, but rather than take off again, he sat back down between Haddock and Chester. 

"Oh, he's going to be just fine," Chester assured him. He grinned once again, just the same as before. "We were talking about you, you know." 

Haddock lifted his head, looking horrified. He opened his mouth to protest, but nothing came out just yet. He hesitated to see what his friend would start to say. 

"Haddock here thinks you're a grand young man, you know," Chester said. "You should take pride in that, this man's a tough one to please!" 

Tintin smiled brightly and looked at the Captain, his stormy eyes sparkling, like clouds parting after the rain. "Is that so?" He asked. 

"It...." Haddock felt himself flush slightly. "Aye, lad. I really think the world of you." ☆


End file.
